Improvement in sewing-machines



D. HARRIS. I Sewing Machine.

Patented June 9, 1857.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

lMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17,508, dated June 9, 1857.

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, DANIEL HARRIS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Mas sachusetts, have invented a certain Improvement in. Sewing-Machines; and I hereby declare that the nature and operation of said improvement are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, to which the specification and letters refer.

My improvement relates to the mechanism or producing; in connection with the needle, the chain or tambour stitch, and is for application to such machines only as are to sew with this stitch.

Figure 1 of the drawings denotes a bottom view of a machine, showing m y looping mechanism as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front view, and Fig. 3 a side view, of said mechanism Fig. 4, a bottom view of it, taken when the beak is at its most advanced position, (Fig. 1 showing the mechanism preparatory to the beak entering between the needle and thread.) Fig. 5 shows a top view, Fig. 6 a front view, and Fig. 7 an end view, of the needle throat-plate and catch-pin.

A in the drawings denotes the needle; B, the table or plate through which the needle works; (3, a horizontal rocking lever, turning on a fulcrum, D, and thereby operating the looping mechanism. This lever is driven to and fro by a pin, E, .(proj ecting from or attached to the lever F, which operates the needle-ban) which enters an inclined slot, G, of the lever 0. As the needle-bar lever plays back and forward the pin slides through the slot G and rocks the bar O, whichmay, however, be rocked in any other convenient or desirable manner.

The mechanism which forms the stitch in connection with the needle A is constructed and applied and operates as follows: The beak or point a, which takes the thread from the side of the needle, is attached to a horizontal tipping plate, I), which turns on a pin, 0, inserted in the front end of the bar 0. As the bar rocks the beak is thrown to and fro just behind the needle, and it is so attached to the plate I) that during its reciprocating movements it plays horizontally just underneath or nearly in contact with the bottom surface of a thin plate, 6, of steel or other suitable metal, fastened upon the top of the table 13, and covering a wide aperture, 9, and having a needlethroat, f, through which the needle and thread pass. The beak, by being made to play just underneath or against this plate, is brought very near to the cloth or material being sewed, which moves over and upon the top surface of the plate 6. The point of the beaka in its forward movement plays through the arc of a cirole, (from the fulcrum D as 'a center,) and is kept stationary with respect to the bar B, as seen in Fig, 1, till just before the end of such movement by the end of a spring, 71, which bears against the front edge of the plate band keeps it from turning. Just before the termination of its advance a projection, 1, from the front of the plate, is brought against the end of the spring and causes the beak to be thrown or tipped horizontally toward the front end of the machine a slight distance, as seen in Fig,4, the spring bearing down upon the plate and carrying the beak back the instant the bar C begins to rock back. A thread catch or pin, .70, extends down from the bottom of the plate 6, just at the rear side or corner of the needlethroat f, as seen in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. Under the beak, and extending out from the plate I), is a projection, k, which ateach advance of the beak moves against or nearly against the needle and insures the proper position of the nee dle with respect to the point of the beak.

Figs. 8, 9, and 1-0 show, respectively, abot tom, side, and front view of the beak, beakplate, and needle-guard, they being construct ed and applied together as there seen.

The operation of the above mechanism to form and interloop the successive loops of thread is as follows: WVhen the needle, (with its thread 0,) after having completed its downward movement, commences to rise, the beak begins to advance toward the needle, the point of the beak lying, when at rest, nearly up to the needle and so as to pass against or in rear of it as soon as the needle has started up in its rise that the plate projection 19 is brought against the endof the spring h, and the beak thereby tipped forward, the beak drags the thread on-its'rear side against the catch-pin x, and the part of the loop at its front side up to or nearly to the adjacent front side or corner of the throat f, or, in other words, spreads or enlarges the opening in or between the two portions of thread, as seen in Fig. 4 by red lines, the spread being such that the needle, when the. parts are properly arranged, is not liable in its descent to miss passing between the threads.

The beak is kept in this forward and tipped position until the needle in its next descent has penetrated the cloth and its point just entered the loop. Then the front of the bar 0 begins to rock back, causing the,

taken from the spool, and when the cloth is fed forward it is fed with the slack from the old loop lying loosely under it, instead of being tightly drawn in as described.) The same results take place with each complete movement of the needle and beak-plate, insuring a very perfect and regular-sized stitch in the material being operated upon. The throw of the beak, as seen in the drawings, is very small, the point of the beak passing from one side of the throat f over a little beyond the opposite side thereof, so that it takes but a short length of thread to form the loop, and, furthermore, by having the beak take the thread when the needle has but just started in its rise, we can employ a much shorter needle than is generally used. The movement of the needle and beak must, however, be made simultaneous, and the beak and needle be kept or made to move in precise paths, as the bend of the thread is so small at the time the beak is to enter'it that the beak has to come nearly of the beak from striking the needle, the proj ection 7c is affixed to the beak-plate b, as seen 'in the drawings. At each retreat of the beakplate'and after the needle has completed its descent this projection swings against or nearly against the needle just above its point, and if the needle has been deflected or bent back it will so press against the needle as to rebend it and prevent the beak from striking the needle as it advances. The action of this guard is different from the action of a stationary inclined guard placed under the table-plate and in the path of the needle against which, as the needle descends, itstrikes, (if it by any means has been bent back out of place.) The point of such needle striking upon a guard is liable to become bent or blunted, and the action of the needle impeded; but with the movable guard above described'the needle is stationary when acted upon, the projection thereby coming against but a very small portion of its surface, and it is never bent by the guard or project'ion coming against its point. Thus it will be seen that by the action in conjunction of Y the needle, the catch-pin, the double-moving beak, and moving guard, constituted as set forth, a machine is built in which the looping mechanism is very simple, effective, cheap,- and not liable to get out of order. The mechanism can be arranged close to the under surface of the table, enabling a short needle to be used with a beak having a small play, so that the slack of the loop is taken up by the-needle and the thread drawn into the cloth, as specified.

\Vhat therefore I claim is The mechanism for forming and interlooping the stitches, (consisting of the break a, the catch at, the plate I), and its projection k, the spring h, and the needle,) when constructed, arranged, and operated together in the manner as above set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature this 16th day of May, A. D. 1857.

DANL. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GOULD, L. A. BIGELow. 

